विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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infidelity ; it will prove a lasting shame to me and mine.’
He then sent for the princess, and asked her what induce-
ment she had had for committing a crime of the nature
that she stood charged with. ‘See,’ said he, ‘to what
contempt you have brought the family which has hitherto
been untarnished by even the breath of calumny.’ The
princess, with tears streaming copiously from her eyes, as
soon as she could find utterance, modestly replied, ‘Oh,
my more than father! You feel grieved at my apparent
misconduct, for real it is not. Believe me, sir, I anr not
guilty of violating my husband’s bed; I have ever been a
faithful wife, and trust to remain so. I beg permission to
relate to you a circumstance which occurred in my father’s
court, which may perhaps dispose you to credit me. At
my birth my father had a very eminent astrologer brought
to him, with whom he consulted as to my future destiny.
In casting my nativity, the astrologer said that I would live
happily till my sixteenth year (which you know I have just
entered), and that then I would fall under the worst of all
suspicions, unjustly though it would be, which would give
me much pain, but that ultimately I should become
possessed of the means of exculpating myself to the satisfac-
tion of all. This suspicion has now fallen upon me : it only
remains for me to prove its injustice, to do which I have
not now the means, save this ring,’ and she produced
the one given to her by her husband on the night of
his remaining with her, ‘which was placed on my
finger by my husband himself, in proof of the inno-
cence of his wife as to anything that might be said
regarding the condition in which I now am. I say this,
sir, to you, in the hope that you will do me the justice to
believe that I am not what I appear to be. In either case,
however, I must abide by your decision.’ The king replied
that he did not believe a word of what she had said. ‘It
is ever so,’ said he ; ‘when people commit a fault they try
to screen themselves by falsehood, to which they attempt to
give the semblance of truth. Nothing that you have said